Lighted life devices



Jan. 4, 1966 M. SENKEWICH LIGHTED LIFE DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet z FiledJuly 1, 1955 Fig.12

Fig.11

Fig-13 Fig. INVENTOR Waxed:

Fig. 15

United States Patent 4 Claims. (Cl. 9-313) This specification, asubstitute of application S.N. 193,- 821, filed May 10, 1962, nowabandoned, covers especially the use of a new principle of constructionof devices which generate and transmit electric current to light signalsattached to individual lifesaving ring buoys and life saving vests.

In order not to be dependent on some special electrolyte, thechemical-electrical cells must operate on sea water; automaticallyfilling these cells when the life preserver becomes immersed in seawater. However, such chemical-electrical cells possess a very modestvoltage of the order of 1.0-1.5 volts. Thus they are not sufficientlystrong to produce a bright, far visible, light signal. A group of suchcells, each standing in direct contact with sea water cannot beconnected in series since the high summary conductivity of the largevolumes of sea water around the cells would cause the I appearance ofstray currents greatly wasting the energy of the cells.

The principle used consists in the'elimination of direct contact of theinner space of each cell with the surrounding sea water. The necessarycontact is established by flexible and elastic tubings of small innerdiameters and sufficient length hermetically fitted into the upper andlower ends of the cells. This does not impede the pentrati-on of seawater into the cells, but forms a sufiiciently high electricalresistance and thus impedes the formation of stray currents between theneighbor cells connected in series.

For illustration, a tubing 100 mm. long and 6 mm. inside diameter filledwith sea water at ordinary temperature (resistivity=2O+ohm/cm. willproduce an electrical resistance of nearly 700 ohms, and the tubings ofthe neighbor cells connected in series would produce a resistance of1,400 ohms. Should there be two such tubings at each end of each cell,in order to insure the penetration of water into the cells their actionin parallel would leave 350 ohms along the way in which stray currentswould have to pass.

If the cells were not provided with such electrical resistance formingtubings, the resistance of sea water between the cells would amount tono more than 3.3 ohms on the assumption that all lines of the straycurrents were limited to a sphere of sea water of 50 mm. diameter.Without this limitation, or with larger distances between the cells, thetotal inter-cellular resistance might be still lower and the straycurrents stronger.

Another source of wastage of energy lies in the necessity of providingtwo opposite electric bulbs for each series of cells when the lightsignals have to be attached to the life saving buoy rings. Both signalswould become lit with only the upper one working-usefully while thelower one would waste its light downwardly.

To eliminate this additional waste of current, an automatically actingdirection reversing switch is used. The latter can be built upon theprinciple of a float as shown here for the sake of illustration. Otherprinciples, like that of a movable mercury column or of a heavy pendulumcapable of freely falling through an arc of 160 degrees and thus alwayscont-acting the proper light sig nal also could be efiiciently used.

Referring to the figures broadly, they are as follows:

3,226,740 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 FIG. 1, plan of the complete life savingand sustaining ring buoy.

FIG. 2, elevation of ring buoy.

FIG. 3, elevation of the complete assembled attachable belt as used inthe complete ring buoy.

FIG. 4, plan of attachable belt.

FIG. 5, isometric view of a part of the attachable belt between lines 33and 4-4 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6, elevation of vessel intended for storing food and drinkingwater.

FIG. 7, plan of vessel.

1 FIG. 8, elevation of float switch.

FIG. 9, vertical section of float switch taken along line 9-.9 in FIG.8.

. FIG. 10, horizontalcross section through float switch taken along line1010 in FIG. 8.

.FIG. 11, front view of the complete life saving vest.

FIG. 12, rear View of vest.

FIG. 13, side view of vest.

FIG. 14, horizontal view of vest.

FIG. 15, isometric view of current producing cell with two resistanceproducing spirals of tubings and with two electric light signals.

FIG. 16, front view of current producing cell. FIG. 17, sectional viewof current producing cell taken along line 1717 in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18, plan of the current producing cell.

In connection with the complete life saving ring buoy illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, the ring buoy carries a number of current producing cells11 which are activated on submersion into sea water. Electric bulbs 12receive the light signals, while special switches for directing thecurrent exclusively to the bulbs are on the buoys upper surface when thebuoy is immersed in water. Also provided are one or more sealed vessels15 containing food and drinking water, and one or more vessels carryingshark repellants.

Referring to the attachable belt carrying the light system and otherlife sustaining containers as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the beltis shown in the assembled state and for the sake of illustration issupposed to carry: eight current producing cells 11, two float switches14, two vessels for food and drinking water 15, two vessels containingshark repellants. All these elements are attached with strong strips oftextile or plastic material to the belt which is made of strong belting.The complete attachable belt is fastened to the ring buoy by cord 24 andby strips of belting 22 for which metallic or wooden cleats can besubstituted.

In connection with the current producing cells as illustrated in FIGS.15, 16, l7, l8, and 5, details of the cell 11 are shown in FIG. 15 by anisometric projection together with the two spirally wound tubings 25, 26(through which the cell is filled on submersion with sea water) and withtwo electric bulbs 13. In FIG. 5, the same cell 11 is shown as attachedto the attachable belt. The tubings 25, 26 are shown in FIG. 5 but theelectric bulbs 13 are not.

The tubings might be of various lengths and various cross sectionalareas. With the ohmic resistivity of sea water equal to 20 ohms or more,the ohmic resistance of -a tubing is at least 20 L/A ohms, where L isthe length and A the inner cross sectional area of the tubing. In mostcases a length of mm. and an inside diameter of 6 mm. or less will besufficient for the creation of a resistance of more than 700 ohms, whilestill permitting an easy penetration of sea water into the cell. Thetubings may be arranged either as helices or in a zig-zag fashion.

Re float switch illustrated in FIGS. 8-10, the float switch consists ofa chamber 27 of an insulating material open at both ends. Into it isplaced a metallic yoke 29 along the axis of which a float 30 slides withvery little friction. This float carries two contact pins 32, 39, andthe chamber of the switch carries two spring electrodes fixed to thesepins and two contacts 31, 33 to the tubular electric bulb. The chamberof the switch is closed by two nipples 28 through which sea water canenter the chamber thus raising the float and contacting that bulb whichoccupies a position upon the upper surface of the buoy.

FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 show the placements of two float switches 14. They areso arranged as to work in parallel connecting the same electric lights.Thus a failure of one float switch shall leave another one to controlthe direction of the current.

Re the life saving, fully equipped vest as illustrated in FIGS. 11, 12,13, and 14, has all necessary attachments. This includes at least twolighting systems consisting of the electric cells with resistancecreating (stray current eliminating) tubings, and light signals, vesselsfor food, drinking water and shark repellants which can be placed infour or five pockets secured each separately to the existing vests. Itis preferable, however, to attach all pockets to a separate casing 39 ofproper textile material, which casing can be thrown over the existingvest and tied to it beforehand. In the figures depicting such a casing(FIGS. 1114) 37, 38 are pockets carrying the current producing cells, 13are the electric light signals placed with the cells on the back of thevest or of the special casing. 35 and 36 are the pockets carrying food,drinking water and shark repellants in sealed containers. The casingcarrying all these devices is marked 39.

What is claimed is:

1. A ring life preserver comprising a buoyant ring and a beltperipherally secured thereto, said belt comprising spaced parallelstraps, sealed water and food containers supported between said straps,electrolytic power producing means, switch means, and lighting meanssupported 4 between said straps, said power means being electricallyconnected to said lighting means through said switch means.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said lighting means comprises opposedlamps which respectively face in the same direction as the opposed upperand lower surfaces of said buoyant ring so that one of said lamps willface upwardly, out of the water, depending on which side of thepreserver is facing upwardly in the water, and the other of said lampswill be submerged in the water.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said switch means comprises a floatchamber having opposite, vertically disposed open ends, a float withinsaid chamber and free to rise toward either of said ends of said chamberdepending on which side of said ring is facing upwardly, an electricalcontact carried on the upper and lower sides of said float, andstationary electrical contacts supported within said chamber andarranged so that when the float rises toward either end of said chamberan electrical circuit is completed between said power source and onlythe then upwardly facing lamp.

4. The device of claim 1 having a series of electrical cells, tubularconnections connecting the inner spaces of said cells with thesurrounding sea water whereby a large resistance will be introduced intoa circuit of parasitic current and thereby reducing the wastage ofcurrent into the sea when said cells are connected in series.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,813 3/1938Winckler 9-313 2,642,591 6/1953 Craver 98.3 2,996,227 8/1961 Andrew340-366 3,122,736 2/1964 Weber 9313 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

A. E. CORRIGAN, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,226,740 January 4, 1966 Alexander M. Senkewich It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction andthat the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, line 3, after "New York, N. Y. insert assignor of fivepercent to Linda Heilman, and five percent to Marjorie Kingston, line12, for "Alexander M. Senkewich, his heirs" read Alexander M. Senkewich,Linda Heilman, and Marjorie Kingston, their heirs in the heading to theprinted specification, lines 3 and 4, for "Alexander M. Senkewich, 545W. 164th St. New York 32, N. Y." read Alexander M. Senkewich, New York,N. Y., assignor of five percent to Linda Heilman, and five percent toMarjorie Kingston Afloat:

ERNEST w. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents Signed and sealed this 13th day of December 1966.

1. A RING LIFE PRESERVER COMPRISING A BUOYANT RING AND A BELT PERIPHERALLY SECURED THERETO, SAID BELT COMPRISING SPACED PARALLEL STRAPS, SEALED WATER AND FOOD CONTAINERS SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID STRAPS, ELECTROLYTIC POWER PORDUCING MEANS, SWITCH MEANS, AND LIGHTING MEANS SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID STRAPS, SAID POWER MEANS BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID LIGHTING MEANS THROUGH SAID SWITCH MEANS. 